Paderborn comeback to snatch victory over Frankfurt

Paderborn - SC Paderborn 07 came from a goal behind to pick up their third win of the season, beating Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 at the Benteler Arena in Matchday 8’s final encounter.

Slow out of the blocks

Following a quiet first half, Alexander Meier struck first for the Eagles, who failed to seize on the chance to move into the top three as late goals from Marvin Ducksch, captain Uwe Hünemeier and Stefan Kutschke saw plucky Paderborn snatch all three points.

Keen to assert themselves in the opening exchanges of the encounter, Paderborn were quick to establish their punishing pressing game against a Frankfurt line-up who seemed flat-footed in the face of their hosts’ approach. Chances were few and far between though, with only an unfortunate bobble preventing Elias Kachunga tapping home from Süleyman Koc’s drilled cross.

It was the only chance of note in a turgid first half hour of proceedings. Eintracht were offering little or no threat in the final third - Takashi Inui’s wayward shot from range their only effort on goal before the break - while Paderborn couldn’t produce the all-important delivery to unlock the visitors’ rigid backline.

Alexander the great

Patrick Ziegler’s curling effort from the edge of the area on the cusp of half-time came closest to flipping the script, but with the sides locked in a stalemate following a less than enterprising first 45 minutes, both will have been grateful for a chance to regroup.

Though neither outfit entered the fray with renewed vigour after the restart, Frankfurt’s tactical tweaks soon began exposing Paderborn’s vulnerability on the counter. The improvement in performance duly delivered the opening goal as Inui’s drilled cross picked out Meier, whose side-footed effort cannoned in off the post shortly before the stroke of the hour.

Paderborn punish Eagles

It was the moment that sparked the game into life as Andre Breitenreiter’s charges threw caution to the wind on the back of the Paderborn head coach making two attacking changes, which produced immediate results. Stefan Kutschke and Ducksch combined to great effect moments after coming off the bench, as the latter smashed a superb volley across goal and inside the far post.

Though Inui and Haris Seferovic both came within a whisker of restoring Frankfurt’s lead, the momentum had well and truly shifted in favour of the hosts, who were unrelenting in cranking up the pressure. As a result, Hünemeier swept home Mario Vrancic’s clever delivery with just over ten minutes left to play, before Kutschke rounded Felix Wiedwald to complete the comeback, moving Paderborn above their opponents in the Bundesliga standings.